MP Trip Phase II: Omkareshwar

Mid-squat, I glance over at the bag hanging from the bathroom door and notice the top to my water bottle is missing. Where is it? How long has it been missing? I can't find it in or around the toilet, and don't really have the strength or patience to go searching. Now that the threat of being sick (from either end) has passed, I try to remember what happened over the last 5 minutes. I'm having trouble because all I can think about are all those lame people who said they'd never buy a Sigg water bottle because “I'd lose the top!” That's the stupidest argument, I would say, how could that even happen?!?


I struggle to answer my own question as I walk back to the dhaba where I'd non-urgently left Sathish and GAPP, mid meal, to get some fresh air 'cause I felt that something was off. It's hard to explain; I felt weak and dizzy like I needed to eat something, but eating anything, even plain roti made me nauseous. Thankfully, the boys don't give me a hard time about losing the water bottle top or the fact that I committed a huge faux pas by not finishing, or even starting, the meal I had ordered. We agree that it's best that I head back to the guest house while they continue to explore the island.

With Maaza, Limca, and water in hand, I walk back and try to diagnose my symptoms. I knew I had not been drinking enough water since we arrived on the hot, dry, holy island of Omkareshwar yesterday and I'd had a headache since last night. Plus, we stayed up very late last night enjoying some holy offerings (don't worry, It's kosher for passover!) and then I had the brilliant idea to wake up at 430am to hike up the 276 steps behind our guest house to watch the sunrise (sorry Sathish!). We had found that our view was blocked by the dam (damn!) and after wondering about for 45 min, we had given up and sat on a wall at the edge of a cliff and just watched the town wake up. On the way back down we made a wrong turn (easy to do in the maze of alleys and stairs throughout the island) and ended up near the river. We knew where we were, but also knew this meant another big climb back up to our guest house. I had said, “I knew we shoulda taken that left turn at albuquerque!”, which Sathish will never find as funny as I did, despite the explanation.

 looking down from the top of the stairs that led to our guest house

It could have been the early morning adventure and lack of nourishment. It could have been the heat and dehydration. I was not having any “loose motions” as they call it here, so I doubt it was something that I ate/drank. Through process of elimination, I concluded it must have been the bhang lassis we had had for breakfast.


While Sathish and I had slept in after our disappointing sunrise, GAPP, who had smartly opted out of the sunrise, walked around the town and befriended some Rajistanis who gave him some bhang. When Sathish and I were deciding what to eat for our late late breakfast, GAPP appeared with 3 lassis and a newspaper package of bhang. I suspended the green paste into the lassi, quite pleased with my compounding skills, and drank it down.

Chalking up my symptoms to the bhang would support my theory that such things should be inhaled, and not eaten (caveat being reliable home made goods, of course). But seeing as it had no effect on Sathish or GAPP, I think it's probably the combination of many things that caused my near space out and resulting loss of water bottle top!

I spent the rest of the day resting and recovering on the balcony of our lovely guest house and was even able to return to our favorite dhaba for dinner, happy that the old man let us eat there again given my previous poor showing.

Our fav place to eat in Omkareshwar

Apart from that afternoon, the rest of the time on the island was smooth and relaxing. Omkareshwar is sunny and windy and there was not a mosquito to be found at this holy place! We pulled out beds outside and slept on the balcony. We met some nice people at our guest house, including an Israeli couple. Having been left out of the Hindi and Tamil, it was fun to be able to communicate the few Hebrew words and phrases that I know (I like this house, I think I will bayit, why don't you put that book in safer place, etc). We joked that 2 of the Hebrew words I know, diarrhea and mosquito, were pretty applicable to India.

Leaving the island was hard, but we were ready for phase III; Tigers.

Pics from the entire MP trip